Cancer patient moves AZ staff with thank-you
STAFF at AstraZeneca were moved to tears when a cancer patient told them how the drug they produced helped her recover.
More than 500 employees at AstraZeneca’s Hurdsfield site – from packers to development scientists – gathered to hear Sue Vincent’s story of recovery from ovarian cancer.
She told them how the drug designed and packed at the Hurdsfield site, given to her as part of a clinical trial, had changed her life.
Site lead Andy Evans said: “It was a real privilege to have Sue with us today.
“She told her story from the heart and I know it has meant a lot to the people on site.
“Knowing that patients like Sue are those who receive the medicines we develop and manufacture helps us all to put the patient at the heart of everything we do.”
Sue enrolled on a clinical trial of AstraZeneca’s PARP inhibitor six and half years ago after her ovarian cancer relapsed. She had tested positive for a specific cancer mutation called BRCA – the same as actress Angelina Jolie – and was offered entry to the trial by her consultant.
Arriving on site in Macclesfield, Sue described the emotion of her diagnosis, how the BRCA mutation test had enabled her to join the trial and what life has been like since she has taken the new medicine.
Sue thanked all those gathered to hear her for their work in getting medicines to patients.
After the session Sue visited the laboratories where the medicine was developed. She toured the packing line and talked with the team who spend their days preparing the medicine for distribution to markets across the world.
Andrew Higgins, director of Business Partnering Communications, said it was valuable experience for staff of all positions to
‘She told her story from the heart and I know it has meant a lot’
hear the effects of the work they do.
He said: “We always say to the staff, whether you are cleaning the car park, packing drugs or are a development scientist, you are playing a vital role.
“But it’s very different when a patient comes in and talks to them directly about how important their work is. People were delighted and very moved by her story.”